Khamenei: Nuclear deal will collapse if sanctions are not lifted

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the sanctions imposed on his country must be completely lifted, not suspended or frozen, warning that the nuclear agreement will collapse if they remain.

In a speech today in Tehran, Khamenei said: “If the sanctions are to be suspended, then the actions we are to take will be at the level of suspension, not structural actions on the ground.”

He also said that Iran engaged in negotiations in order to lift sanctions and if the sanctions are not lifted then there is no point in the nuclear deal.

He added that Iran would have continued its work on the 19,000 centrifuges that it has and that in a short time it could have 50,000 or 60,000 centrifuges.

Khamenei noted that the officials in Iran should not give America a chance to gain a foothold in the country. Those who do so will find themselves against the government and the people of Iran.

He criticised statements made by US officials regarding the continued sanctions imposed on Iran saying they contradict the goals of the nuclear talks.

With regards to Iran’s relations with Washington after the deal, he said: “Our officials only discuss the nuclear deal with America… We will never support America’s policies on Syria and Iraq.”